By hahonline, May 10 2017 01:41PM

When you've been in a relationship with someone for 5 years, you start to think you know everything about them but when Simon told me that he'd never been to Great Yarmouth, my chin hit the deck.

"How have you lived in Norwich for just shy of 10 years and never been to Pleasure Beach, strolled down Regent Road or sampled Market Chips?”

Obviously after recovering from this shocking revelation I was straight on the Greater Anglia website booking our train tickets for that very weekend.

Now at this point I will say, don't let the train journey put you off, it's only a 30-minute journey from Norwich and although the Wherry line is not gifted with the most up to date trains, the views on the way are pretty nice, just be prepared to fight for a seat at peak times!

If you are a fan of kitsch, colour and a bit of good old fashioned fun then Great Yarmouth has plenty to offer. Souvenir shopping, a classic pier, the "Golden Mile" and of course Fish and Chips.

We hadn’t really planned our day and were happy to go with the flow. One thing that was not optional in Simon’s mind was getting to eat some fresh fish and chips. (One day this man will resemble a battered haddock). In Yarmouth, you have unlimited options when it comes to Britain’s favourite seaside cuisine and eventually we plumped for “Fish, Chips & More” and it didn’t disappoint. You can tell how good it was, I didn’t even take a photo!

One of my favourite buildings in Great Yarmouth is The Flamingo. It’s pink and covered in neon flamingos, what’s not to love? We popped in for a few tries on the 2p machines. There is something magic about the sound of an amusement arcade, the clinking of coins, the laughter and the beeps, buzzes, clangs and clacks of the machines.

My memories of Great Yarmouth stretch back many years. I think I might have been 11 the first time I joined a coach of seniors from the local sport & social club for a day out at the seaside. My friend Claire and I would jump off the coach and head straight for the Pleasure Beach ticket office to buy our unlimited wristbands so we could ride the Waltzers 14 times in a row – or at least until our stomachs started to turn!

One attraction that I had failed to visit on my many trips to Yarmouth was Merrivale, the Model Village. so this time we had to make time to take a wonder round. I was amazed at how much you get for your money, for an entry fee of only £7.99 (Save 50p with this voucher) you get to explore the village, play mini golf, have access to loads of amazing retro games machines and there is a fantastic tea room. Simon was in his element, he loves a miniature train and I got to feed the Coy Carp, a highlight for me.

We played our round of golf and I was clearly going to win so I had to throw the last hole so I wouldn’t have to sit opposite a sore loser on our train home.

Merrivale Model Village, tiny protestors at the Merri1 launch site

So many awsome succulents dotted about the Merrivale Village

Simon had a great time, honest!

Good old fashioned (quite litteally) fun at Merrivale!

It's an unwritten rule that anyone that who pays a visit to Pleasure Beach, must ride the 85-year-old Roller Coaster. Built in 1932 the Roller Coaster is Grade II listed and one of only 8 remaining rides of its kind in the world. If you ever find yourself watching Madness' video for House of Fun you might spot the band riding "The Scenic", as it's otherwise known towards the end.

Before we made our way slowly back to the train station we had to have a ride on the Carousel. My mother was not impressed when I sent her a photo of the mare I was about to board, her namesake “Claire”. I may be approaching my 30s but in my mind, you are never too old for a ride on a carousel.

Now, Norfolk’s very own Las Vegas has had its ups and downs over the years and compared to the highs of the resort in the late 19th century, Yarmouth has seen better days but nevertheless a day trip to Yarmouth is one full of laughs, kitsch and curiosity.

Unfortunatly the Yarmouth House of Wax closed a few years ago but it's still a gloriously creepy building.

By hahonline, Apr 26 2017 08:57PM

Hannah being "Oh so Cambridge" with her Cambridge Satchel co bag, bike and background of Wisteria

On Sunday I joined around 70 other creatives from across the country for a photowalk around Cambridge organised by the wonderful Jo (Hello Sunshine) and Claire (Claireabellemakes).

It's safe to say that the day was a huge success on all fronts. Claire and Jo did a great job of planning the route and keeping everyone together, Mother Nature was a complete babe and kept the sun shining down on us all day and Aromi had Tirimisu ice-cream!

Jo and Claire leading us off at the start of the photowalk

Just a small selection of those who took to the streets of Cambridge on Sunday

I'm going to keep the written part of this pretty short and sweet becuase I think the photos show what a great day we had. I didn't take as many photos as I thought I would because I was so busy chatting to everyone. It was fantastic to finally meet loads of creatives that I've been following on instagram for yonks as well as get to meet some new faces too.

Wisteria was a common theme throughout the day and when we approached a house covered in lashings of purple plumes the whole group of 70 swarmed around it causing total "wisteria hysteria"

Check out the many Boomerangs on Instagram to see the madness for yourself.

Even Claire's bike Florence dressed up for the occassion!

When walking around Cambridge you will almost certainly spot a Cambridge Satchel Company Satchel - they are as common place as the bikes and punts!

The Cambridge Satchel Company loaned us some of thier bags for the day and I spent part of it with this beautful neon blue and clay cloud bag. It was pretty hard to part with at the end of the day.

Jo in her patch dress modelling another of the neon offerings from the Cambridge Satchel Company.

After the Photowalk we all had a picnic next to the river in Jesus Green and got our swap on. I swaped some of my Wonderful Pins for a whole host of cool things from other makers, here are just a couple of them.

There is such a lovley community of creatives and designer-makers in Cambridge (and beyond) and everytime I visit I feel a little more at home. I'm so lucky to have meet such a friendly group of people who bring me out of my shell. These guys are ace. Thanks again to Claire and Jo for arranging such an amazing event and I'm really glad I went.

By hahonline, Jan 30 2017 08:53PM

I've always despised the word "blog" it sounds like something you'd find logded in your plug hole. You know, like one of those indescribly terrible smelling lumps of god-knows-what that you find when you unscrew the filter in the shower basin.

I also dispise writting. I'm dyslexic and unfortunatly my brain works a lot faster than my hands can type, its incredibly fraustrating. Everytime I write it's like I'm desperate for the toilet but stuck at a standstill on the M25. It needs to come out and there's a lot of it, I just lack the facilities and instead of making a mess I just hold it in. It's incredibly embaressing when mid flow I miss a word due to my hast or spell something so funky that my iphone cant even correct it.

These are just two reasons why I haven't tried blogging before today but that's going to change. This is a blog and I am therefore blogging.

I am Siobhan, the creator of HAH. This is our brand new blog and it will be where I share what running a small business is like. I'm going to share a few DIY ideas, what it's like behind the scenes in the studio and information about various markets, fairs and festivals that you can find us at in 2017. I'll be showing you some of my favourite products from other small brands and if you're lucky some sneak peaks of upcoming products. One thing I will promise is that I will be totally frank throughout, this blog is my voice and hopefully you'll get to know me and my little brand a little bit more by reading it.